Dead Are These Mines
by P.J. Lowry
Summary: This was my submission to the recent 'Global Creative Writing' contest hosted by Blizzard. It didn't place, but I am still proud of my submission. Enjoy...
1. Chapter 1

She sat there window ledge and ate her apple while watching the magnificent view from her building. The library within the headquarters of _'The Order of Arcane Anarchy'_ had a stunning view of Stormwind Harbor and it was one of the most astonishing views you could find within the human capital of Azeroth. She found it very calming to watch as the boats arrived from various locations to either bulk up to deliver supplies to other Alliance outposts or to transport soldiers to the war front. It was relaxing and in this time of war, it was good to take in moments like that while you had the chance. Watching the mammoth warships come in and out of the harbor was a stirring site and they gave her hope that the war was not going to be lost. Their people were determined, zealous and eager to take each campaign to the bitter end. Death before dishonor and for King and Country was all the soldiers of the Alliance needed to walk into any battle field and take the fight to any enemy. She had more than her share of battle with the Orcs, trolls and even the undead. Yet she was never given the chance to do more. As she watched more ships come and go, someone entered the library behind her. She quickly put one hand on the hilt of a dagger she had beside her on the window ledge only to let go when she realized it was a friendly face, one of the servants of the Order. "What is it?" she immediately demanded.

The servant bowed before giving her a response. "You have been summoned to the table of the Order, Mistress Valleria."

"Who has summoned me?" Valleria asked.

"Master Dameos. He has returned from Outland." The servant answered. "And I would recommend changing into your armor. I believe he has an errand that might require a little travel and some battle."

"Very well." Valleria responded as she dismissed the servant with the wave of her hand. She immediately hopped off the window ledge and walked back to her quarters to change. It took a few minutes but she removed the robe she had been casually wearing that day and changed into her battle armor. She slowly and carefully put on a set of blue scaled armor of the Defender, custom made to fit her agile yet muscle toned body. Valleria also equipped herself with an array of weapons before she threw her tabard on. The cloth didn't provide any protection from anything, but the logo commanded respect as her master chose only the best to join his guild. Once she had completed donning her armor, Valleria left room and went to the stairs that led to the room where she was beaconed to meet with Dameos.

When the Master of the Order summoned her, it was only for an assignment, which was fine with her. Valleria had been resting in the headquarters too long and was eager to get back to work. It was thought that the Order had been hesitant to give her new work because of the result of her last few assignments or because she was one of the only women in the Order. These reasons seemed to be incorrect as Dameos had something for her to do. She never doubted the sincerity of her leader as Dameos didn't seem to be the kind of Paladin who would judge people based on their looks or their gender. If you were capable of doing your work and completing whatever assignment he gave you, then you were a valuable member of the Order. Dameos was no fool, and in times of war able bodies were in high demand.

She walked into the main room and towards the table of the order was located in the center. It was a massive table, round in structure and in the middle of it was the logo of the Order. The black background had the picture of gold erupting volcano. Surrounded with a white border it was the logo of the Order, the same logo she wore on her tabard everywhere she traveled. There were two people in the room when she arrived. A very small man with a bald head and a long brown beard was located at the opposite end of the table from her. He was a new member, a warrior recruited from the Gnomes in exile. Valleria walked into the room and took a seat. "I assume you were summoned as well, Smoggel?"

The little Gnome also took a seat at the table. "I was." he confirmed as his eyes scanned the room, "But I do not see the man who summoned me. I was told Dameos had returned from Outland."

"He has." A voice called from the back of the room.

Valleria turned around to face the darkness of the corner, placing a quick hand on the hilt of her sword. "Who goes there?" she quickly called out.

"A friend." The voice replied as he came out of the darkness. The rogue was wearing a red mask over his mouth and was draped completely in black leather armor that allowed him to disappear into the walls with ease. "I too was summoned but I have yet to see our Master."

"Thalisar." Smoggel called from the other end of the table, "Stop hiding in the darkness and sit with us."

"I prefer to stand." Thalisar replied as he strolled around the room, never taking his eyes off the two at the table.

"You rogues are too wary, even when at home." A voice called from the staircase. "If you can't relax here in the heart of our headquarters, then I don't think you can do so anywhere."

Thalisar put his hands together and did a short bow as Dameos walked through the door. "For you I will make an exception." Thalisar took out a dagger and placed it on the table before sitting down.

"Thank you." Dameos replied as he also walked over to the table to take a seat. The Paladin was massive in structure, wearing the colossal plate armor reserved for men of his stature. There were several noticeable dents in the plates to go along with the usual wear and tear, which gave Valleria the impression that he had been in battle while in Outland. His armor was as black as night, but he had a green cape that looked as mystical as it did out of place with the rest of his gear. Despite the wear and tear, Dameos looked in good spirits as he removed a weapon from his person and placed it on the table so he could sit down comfortably. The bright blue mace was constructed of a very unique stone, but was recognizable to almost anyone in Azeroth. The Oathkeeper was a mighty weapon, one used only by the strongest of Paladins as they packed quite a punch and were also a chore to carry around. This weapon was so heavy to use that it required both hands to operate, which meant you couldn't use a shield when in battle. The thing was bigger than Smoggel and probably weighed twice as much as the little Gnome too. "I appreciate your eagerness to serve the Order." Dameos started, "I have a very important assignment for you all. One that is vital to the security of Azeroth and the Alliance."

"We are here to serve, Master." Valleria quickly responded.

"I am here for the Order." Smoggel said to confirm his eagerness to move forward.

Thalisar however didn't seem to share the same enthusiasm as the other two at the table. "I prefer to work alone." He said with a small hint of distain. Rogues were known for their tendency to be loners, and Thalisar was clearly no exception.

"I realize how tough it will be to work with a team." Dameos said as he understood the rogue's hesitation. "But your skills are in great demand for this assignment and everyone's participation is necessary to ensure success."

Thalisar paused for a moment then retracted. "If it is your will, Master, it will be done."

"Excellent. All three of you will have to work together to make sure the work I have to assign is handled to my satisfaction." Dameos continued without hesitation, "There is something strange going on in Westfall. It is not only troubling Gryan Stoutmantle but it is also worrying the nobles here in Stormwind. I want the three of you to report to Stoutmantle in Sentinel Hill and investigate what is going on down there. He will give you more details of the situation when you arrive. We are using a lot of our resources to battle the Lynch King and the scourge on many fronts, the last thing we need to deal with a new threat or something that is even worse: another war front. Your assignment is to find out which one it is and report back to me with your findings. From there I will personally report those findings to the nobles and the King with my recommendation on what to do."

"You can count on us, Sir." Smoggel quickly declared from the other end of the table.

"It will be done, master." Thalisar repeated.

"I have no doubt in your abilities." Dameos said as he stood up. "I have already spoken to the Gryphon Master here in the city and he's waiting for you to immediately take flight to Westfall. Go to the bank and gather up whatever supplies you need. Pack extra potions and rations just incase this takes a while. If you require anything more, Stoutmantle will make sure you are restocked when your supplies run low."

"You're not coming with us?" Valleria asked somewhat curious to what the master's plans were in Stormwind.

"I am not." Dameos confirmed. "After I get my armor repaired and catch up on some rest, I will be returning to Outland to rejoin the siege on the Black Temple." He picked up his Oathkeeper and looked back at the three still sitting at the table. "I have faith you will all be strong and determined enough to complete the task I have given. Good journey." All three stood up from their chairs and watched as the huge Paladin walked out of the room and was gone as quickly as he arrived.

The three stood there and shared a quiet moment until Valleria broke their silence. "So who's in charge here?"

"No one." Thalisar quickly answered. "But we do have to work together. We should concentrate on our common goal, to serve the Order." He paused for a moment to think. "It's obvious that our master wants us to sneak around which is why I am a part of this assignment. Yet assigning two warriors to join me on this quest tells me that we might encounter some heavy resistance if discovered. I recommend we pack plenty of healing potions and I urge you all to carry some spare weapons as backup. I will meet you at the Gryphon Master to begin our journey."

Valleria watched as the rogue left the room without making so much as a sound. They were quiet and very careful people, those rogues. She knew already that when it came to looking and sneaking around, Thalisar would likely take charge. But if they were to do battle, both she and Smoggel would be bearing the brunt as they were the soldiers and the brute force of their group. "Are you coming?" She called out to Smoggel who was still at the table.

"Aye." Smoggel said with a huff and he hopped off his chair and followed her out the door. It was time to prepare for travel as the vast farmlands of Westfall were waiting for them.


	2. Chapter 2

When Smoggel and Valleria arrived to the Gryphon Master, they were surprised to see that Thalisar was already there, fully stocked and ready to go. The two of them were surprised as they had never seen him in the Order's vault when gathering supplies. Valleria was the first to speak as she set down her gear. "I don't remember seeing you in the vault. Where did you get those potions?"

"I made them." The rogue said, not showing a single hint of emotion. Thalisar was a true master of the art of Alchemy, meaning that not only was he able to turn simple herbs into life saving potions but the profession also came in handy for a rogue of his class. Poisons were quite handy when you were an assassin of the Alliance. The fact that he made them himself also was another trait of the rogue: distrust. He didn't trust anyone to make his potions but himself, which was why he preferred to use his own stash rather than take anything from the Order's vault.

"Enough talk." Smoggel said as he handed his gear over to the Gryphon handler. "It's time to fly." Once his gear was strapped to the large eagle like bird, Smoggel hopped onto its back. "See you all at Sentinel Hill."

Valleria watched as the bird lifted off the ground and flapped its mighty wings. Second later she could hear Smoggel shouting with glee as the large gryphon swooped out of the castle with great speed and sailed into the sky. She watched as the Gryphon worker tied her gear to the large bird like creature and then she mounted as well. She wasn't too comfortable with flying but realized when you needed to get somewhere fast it was one of the best ways to travel. The only way faster was to travel by portal, which was possible if you had a mage in your group. Since they didn't, Gryphons were definitely the way to go this time. She held the reigns tight as the bird began to flap its powerful wings and slowly lift off the ground. She was safely strapped to the harness of the Gryphon but still held on tight as is started to fly from the coup and into the open sky. She was always amazed by these birds and their ability to transport people to their destination. Considering all the gear she was taking with her along with the mail armor she had on, it was a considerable burden for the creature to take with it. The Gryphon didn't seem to mind or notice as the speeds it managed to pick up was considerable, flying at top speed towards Westfall. As they flew through of Elwynn forest, Valleria's fiery red hair flapped in the wind as the large bird weaved through the trees as it finally left the forest as it entered the large clear wheat fields of Westfall. Covering the land was a lot of fields of fertile land, which was the farm belt of the Alliance. The land had been under siege for a while, but things were starting to settle down thanks to the hard work of the People's Militia. The Gryphon had thundered towards its destination with great speed and Valleria clutched to the reigns with great fear as it swooped towards the ground where Westfall's only Gryphon Master was located. At the very last second, the Gryphon extended its wings to catch as much air as possible, which slowed it down and allowed it to float to the ground with ease and make a perfect landing. She unbuckled her harness and dismounted while the gryphon workers took down her gear. Smoggel and Thalisar had already arrived and were waiting for her before reporting to Stoutmantle. From the location where they had landed, Sentinel Hill was in clear sight at the top of a hill that made for a good defensive posture from possible attacks. The three of them picked up their gear and strolled up the hill to the small tower to meet with their contact. Once in the tower, a powerful man wearing his own grey plate armor was in the room conferring with his people. The others turned to face the three as the strolled into the room. New faces were uncommon as many people were usually assigned to the warfront, leaving supply of bodies in Westfall in low supply.

Gryan Stoutmantle turned to acknowledge the presence of the new faces that had entered the room. He recognized the emblem on their chests and welcomed them with a small grin and a nod of his head. "I've been waiting for you." He said with a scruffy voice to confirm his age. "Dameos is a resilient soldier and a true friend of the Militia. I was glad to hear he was sending you out to help us. Our numbers are low and we need as much help out here as we can get. I am sure you're eager to find out why you are here?"

"I am." Thalisar answered, eager to get more intel.

"We are curious to the strange happenings that beacon us to Westfall." Smoggel said as he walked closer to the table that had a detailed map of the terrain. "Where in the land is this occurring?"

"Right here." Stoutmantle said as he pointed to a specific part of the map. "This is the village of Moonbrook. It was deserted because of heavy fighting with the Defias. It was literally torn apart and destroyed by the wear and tear of fighting from both sides. There has been no activity in the village because all of its inhabitants have fled to other parts of the territory or to other regions."

"Until now?" Valleria guessed as she finally entered the conversation.

"Yes." Stoutmantle replied, "Recently our scouts have been noticing a lot of activity in the village. They're not repairing it, but are closely watching over it like guards."

"What do you think they're guarding?" Smoggel asked.

"That my little friend is where you and your colleagues come in." Stoutmantle said, "We need you to get in there and find out what has suddenly become so special about that area. We need to know what they're up to. If they're building an army to move in on Sentinel Hill, then we need to know about it."

"Understood." Thalisar confirmed as he began to understand his true purpose in the mission. "We'll get to the bottom of this as soon as we can."

"That's what I wanted to hear." Stoutmantle said as he gestured to one of his men. "This man will see that you are given whatever you need and horses to travel to Moonbrook."

"That won't be necessary." Thalisar replied, "We'll be walking to our destination."

"We will?" Smoggel said with a slight distain in his voice. The little Gnome preferred to ride than walk to his destinations.

"Yes," Thalisar confirmed. "We will. Horses stick out too much and if discovered will ruin our attempt to look around."

Stoutmantle saluted the three of them, "Godspeed to you all and good luck."

"Thank you, Sir." Valleria replied. The three of them returned the bow to Stoutmantle, and departed Sentinel Hill to begin their walk to Moonbrook.


	3. Chapter 3

Thankfully for Smoggel, Moonbrook wasn't that far of a walk then he had earlier imagined. As they approached the outskirts of the deserted village, they could see guards who were patrolling the town as Stoutmantle had indicated. There was no mistaking the group of men and women who were guarding select parts of the village. Their weapons and especially their red bandit masks were a clear giveaway, the standard dress for the Defias Brotherhood. The brotherhood was a rebellious faction of Azeroth that had turned against the Alliance a few years back. It wasn't as though the Alliance had enough enemies to deal with in the form or Orcs, Trolls and the Undead; they also had to deal with internal problems like the brotherhood in lands such as Westfall where forces were spread thin and unable to control the vast territory. As they watched the village from a distance, it was easy to see that there were more than just the regular soldiers but mages walking around the deserted town in groups of two or three. Thalisar knew this kind of organization was rare for bandits such as the Defias. Normally they would stick to plundering transport wagons or robbing people and looting their homes. This was something of different sort as they were more on the defensive rather than a group that was looking for something to attack. The three of them watched, slowly trekking around the outskirts of town, but after looking around from a distance Thalisar was beginning to lose his patience. "We need to get a lot closer."

"How much closer did you want to get?" Valleria asked.

"We were meant to investigate, not kill the target." Smoggel reminded him.

"Close enough to know which building they are guarding." Thalisar answered, "There are at least half a dozen good sized structures there. We need to find out if they're guarding someone important or could there something else that we're not seeing."

"I get your point." Valleria agreed, "Which is the best point to get in there?"

"Over there." Thalisar said as he pointed to the stables near the center. "If we make any noise, they're likely to pass it off as the horses being loud." The three of them snuck up to the stable, and inside the stable was one guard. They looked around and there was no sign of anyone else in that particular structure. Thalisar signaled them to stay down. "I'll take care of this one."

The Rogue started to crawl around the stable and before they knew it, the Rogue had vanished from their site. Smoggel and Valeria were trying to look around and see if they could spot the rogue, but it was virtually impossible. Whenever they felt like it, rogues could literally go invisible. A few seconds later, there was a small gagging sound and the thud of a body hitting the ground. Thalisar had crawled up from behind and stabbed the man in the back and covered his mouth to prevent him from calling for help. The rogue then dragged the body behind the horses to prevent him from being found.

"Impressive." Smoggel said as he walked into the stable.

"It's nothing." The rogue modestly replied as he cleaned his blade. "If we get to the second floor of this barn like structure, we'll be able to spy on them and find out what's going on."

They climbed up to the second floor and slowly crept towards an area where they could watch the village without being seen. Thalisar was especially good at this since it was his specialty, so Valleria decided to stay out of sight and take the rogue's word for what was going on. "What do you see?" she quietly asked the rogue.

"There are a lot of them in the center of the village, but from what I can see they are all guarding the door of one particular building." Thalisar answered, "We've got to find out what is so special about that place."

"How do you say we pull that off? There are too many guards to sneak in." Smoggel added as he looked out as well. "If only we knew someone who had a map of every building in this town and what they were used for."

"We do." Thalisar said as he backed away from view. "Chances are Stoutmantle has an old map of this place. We can ask him what the significance of that place is and why they would be guarding it that much."

"So we should head back?" Smoggel asked.

"No." Thalisar replied, "I'm going to double back alone. Stay here and out of sight. I'll be back in a few." Thalisar returned to the bottom floor of the stable and then snuck out the same way he got back. He then sprinted back to Sentinel Hill at top speed, sprinting the way only a rogue could based on his special skills.

"Man, that rogue can move." Smoggel observed as he watched the rogue run off until he was not visible.

"He won't be gone very long." Valleria said, "We need to stay here and try not to provoke the guards until he returns."

"I don't think that will be a problem. They're too busy watching that place to care what's going on in the other buildings."

"That's a break." Valleria sat down and laid her axe down on her lap. She pulled out a piece of cheese from her pack and started to nibble on it. It was a small piece of 'Dwarven mild' and while it wasn't the tastiest cheese on the market, it was enough to overcome her hunger. She had other items to pick from but thought since she was in hiding it would be wise to only take a cautious nibble.

Smoggel seemed to take her hint and did the same. He sat in a spot where he could watch the front of the stable to see if anyone was approaching and dived into his own bag for something to eat. He pulled out a lynx steak, and started to gnaw on the dried piece of meat. As he was ripping the fleshing piece of meat apart with his teeth, Smoggel looked over at Valleria who was looking at him with a small wince on her face. "What?" he quickly mumbled with a mouth full of food.

"How can you eat that stuff?" she asked with a tinge of disgust. Valleria was a vegetarian and had only various herbs, mushrooms and cheeses stashed in her bags for food. The thought of eating any meat revolted her and yet the small gnome was savagely attacking the steak like a raptor that hadn't eaten for days.

"Hey, this is good stuff, keeps a warrior strong." Smoggel added as he took another defiant bite.

Valleria groaned her displeasure and merely took a bite of her own food to prevent the conversation from going on. They sat there and quietly ate their food while watching the Defias scout the buildings around the stable. It was only a few moments later that Thalisar returned from doubling back to Sentinel Hill. Valleria knew rogues were great sprinters but even she was impressed by how fast he was able to get back. "What says Stoutmantle?" she quickly asked as she put what was left of her food away.  
"Stoutmantle showed me a map and I pointed out the building that we were looking at." The rogue replied between breaths. "It's an entrance to an abandoned mine that the militia used to excavate for copper."

"Fascinating." Smoggel said as he too put his supplies away. "This could be how the Defias is funding their campaign against the alliance."

"Stoutmantle was under the impression that the mine was depleted of all its resources, which is why the Militia didn't mind abandoning the village. If there's something down there worth mining, he might have to reconsider his decision to leave Moonbrook to the Defias." Thalisar said as he also took a sip of his own drink. "Stoutmantle wants us to go in there and find out what they're doing and more importantly: what they're finding."

"How do you plan to do that?" Smoggel asked, "The entrance to this mine looks pretty well guarded. I count at least ten people around this building and there's no telling how many are in the other buildings that could come out and join the fight."

"Agreed." Valleria said as she looked over the area. "We need to find another way in."

"I've already taken care of that." Thalisar replied, "Stoutmantle informed me that there's another entrance to the mine. It's likely that this entrance have significantly less guards than the main entrance here in town."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Smoggel said as he started to move towards the ladder. "I was getting tired of shacking up here with these beasts."

"How far is the entrance from here?" Valleria asked the rogue.

"Not far, but we'll have to be careful... there are Defias everywhere around this hill. I suspect that this mine must have something for them to guard it so well." Thalisar took a blade from his belt and was the last to leave the stable behind the two warriors.

They left the stable and crept out of Moonbrook towards a sizeable hill that resided right behind the village due south towards the coast. There were a lot of Defias scouts on the hill, but with help from the rogue, they were able to sneak around undetected and make it to the entrance that was located near the coast just as Stoutmantle had said it was. There was however three Defias thugs watching the entrance that they had to take care of. Based on the numbers Thalisar came up with a plan. He used his stealth ability to sneak up behind the three and then have himself get spotted in the right position to bait them to chase him. Once they cleared the area, Vallaria and Smoggel entered the mine. After outrunning his chasers, Thalisar was about to double back to the entrance before the guards could and enter the mine undetected as well. While the two warriors didn't like sneaking around, they did realized once they openly started to battle, there was no telling who might hear it and come to join in. Right now until the three knew what they were up against, the rogue was right to recommend complete stealth for their necessary approach. Both Smoggel and Valleria had unsheathed their weapons and slowly followed the Thalisar as he scouted a head in the dark mineshaft. The rogue was clearly in his element as the dark mine was poorly lit and was easy for someone to hide and wait to ambush anyone who strolled deep into the tunnel.

"Why the axe?" Smoggel asked as he followed behind Valleria. "You have a sword and shield, wouldn't that be a better weapon to use right now?"

"Not exactly." Valleria countered, "My sword isn't what I would recommend for sneaking around."

"Oh really?" the little gnome replied.

"It is." Thalisar suddenly chirped in, "And if you two don't keep it down you're going to quickly find out why." The two warriors immediately took the hint and stopped conversing with one another and slowly kept backing up the rogue as he snuck his way through the area. Thalisar walked up to the corner where someone had been digging and ran his hand against the wall before inspecting it closely. "That brownish substance is copper. Turns out this mine isn't as depleted as Stoutmantle first assumed."

"What about that grayish stuff on your hand too?" Smoggel asked.

"That's tin." Thalisar answered, "This is definitely a mine that shouldn't have been abandoned by the militia. Let's keep looking to see how much of the mineral is actually here."

The three of them continued to wander down the shaft and about twenty meters later it led to entrance that lead to a very large cavern. Once they made it to the mouth of the entrance, there was an astonishing view that awaited them. Inside the cavern was a small bay, and in that bay were dozens of sailors and just as many workers who were building something massive. It was the last thing any of them had expected to see inside an abandoned mine.


	4. Chapter 4

They all stood there at the edge of the cavern and they looked up in complete awe to what was a seaworthy battle ship. The vessel was massive in structure but had a similar look to the warships that the alliance used in their fleet. The three snuck out of the cavern entrance and snuck down the small slope to a large rock formation that was close to the barge, and hid behind it to do a little recon of the ship and those who were working around it.

Smoggel seemed the most disturbed by this revelation. "Are they trying to build their own naval fleet to challenge us on the seas?" he quietly asked the others.

"I doubt it." Thalisar answered. "If they were building their own fleet, I doubt they would choose the same colors as the Alliance. I have a feeling this ship is being made to blend in with our own fleet."

"For what purposes?" Valleria asked, looking around as the workers came and went from the barge.

"I'm not sure, but if I had to guess I would say to sneak through our waters undetected." Thalisar answered, "But our mission is over. We need to return to Sentinel Hill and report this to Stoutmantle and Dameos as soon as possible. I'm confident the Alliance will find this development very troubling."

Just as Thalisar made that statement, someone called out from behind them. There were two miners coming out of the same entrance as they had into the cavern where the boat was, and they spotted the three of them hiding and watching the barge. "Intruders!"

"Spies! Kill them!" the other called, raising his mining pick and charging at them.

"Not exactly the best place to get spotted." Thalisar said as he pulling a small dagger from his tabard and hurled it at the miner with force. The throwing knife sliced through the air at top speed and impacted with the miner's open and exposed chest. The miner fell to the ground and dropped his pick as he rolled down the cavern right to the bottom where the deck leading the warship was located. The workers on the dock noticed the body and then looked up to spot the three intruders and all looked up and pointed while unsheathing their weapons and running in their direction.

Valleria wasn't willing to wait for them to run up to engage them as she pulled out a crossbow and immediately fired an arrow, dropping one sailor to the ground. "We need to get back into the tunnel!" she called out.

"I'm on it." Smoggel replied as he took out a bow, and used it to fire his own arrow into the other miner that was behind them at the top of the cavern. He put the bow away and pulled out two one handed axes. "It's clear!" he said as he started to run up towards the small entrance.

"Let's move! The tunnel will nullify their numbers!" Thalisar said as he took out another dagger and tossed it at another sailor coming up at them. From there all three of them made a mad dash for the tunnel entrance dodging arrows that were coming from the deck of the warship.  
Once back in the tunnel, Smoggel ran ahead to check their other front, and he was greeted by more miners, armed with picks and trying to use his head for a stone.

The little gnome put one of his axes away and immediately brought out his shield before charging the two miners. Their picks were barely able to dent the shield which gave the little warrior all the time he needed to knock the miners down and take them out of commission. He then noticed that more miners were coming at them from the other direction in the tunnel. "We're trapped!"

"Keep going!" Thalisar commanded, "We'll keep fighting until we reach the entrance leading to the coast!"

Valleria was still holding off sailors as they came pouring into the entrance from where the barge was located, chopping them down with the blade or smacking them with the butt of her ax. Things were moving at a steady pace for them as Smoggel was clearing the way, chopping his way to the entrance when suddenly things went dark. The miners had blown out all the torches in the shaft, leaving the three of them to fend for themselves in utter darkness.

"This is not good." Smoggel growled to himself. He didn't like fighting in the dark and preferred to see what he killed.

"Valleria," Thalisar whispered, "Now would be a good time to use that sword of yours."

Valleria didn't like fighting blind either, so she took her ax in one hand and used her free hand to unsheathe her sword. The one handed blade was enchanted, and when unsheathed it lit up the cavern with an intense bright blue hue. The blade looked like it had a blue flame emanating from it, an icy enchantment that she got from a mage a while back to make the blade more deadly to the touch. Before any of the miners and sailors had a chance to react, Valleria put the sword into the ground and used it as a torch to light the battle. The three of them then attacked, knocking down people all over the place and filling the mine shaft with bloody retribution. As they moved back towards the entrance, Valleria picked her sword out of the ground and used it as a mobile torch to guide them and keep things from going dark again.

"I can see the exit to the coast!" Smoggel said, "We're very close to it!" the little gnome put his shield on his back and pulled out another one handed ax and was now duel welding against anyone that crossed him, his rage increasing with each shot, every blow to the enemy. The little warrior became so enraged that he went into what Valleria can only call a 'blood rage' and began to charge what was left of the miners blocking his way out. He started to jump around, flip and slice without mercy as he made the final push for the exit leading to Westfall's coast. The little warrior used a thunderclap to knock the last two miners out of his way and he ran out of the shaft to the outside.  
Valleria was using both her ax and sword to fend off the soldiers and Thalisar was using his throwing knives to keep them at a distance. Thalisar then pulled a few sticks of EZ-Thro dynamite from his person and lit the fuses as quickly as he could. The sticks had a long fuse so he was able to wave the explosives around and show them to the sailors. They realized what the rogue was up to and immediately stopped their advance and began to retreat. As the sailors ran for cover, Thalisar tossed the EZ-thro dynamite in their direction. He and Valleria then both ran for the entrance that Smoggel had cleared for them as the explosion from the sticks caused the mine shaft to collapse, closing off one of their fronts from attack.

"It will take days for them to clear the rubble." Thalisar said as he dusted himself off from the explosion.

"We need to start back for Sentinel Hill." Valleria reminded him as they exited the tunnel. When they came out of what was left of the mine shaft to the outside to join Smoggel, there was a surprise waiting for them.  
According to Thalisar's count, there had to be close to fifty Defias thugs waiting for them outside. Their red masks and black leather armor made them very easy to recognize. There were also a few Defias hunters who had bows pointed at them. "End of the line?" Thalisar said to no one in particular as he was gripping what was the last of this throwing daggers…

"Not without a fight." Smoggel said as he gripped both mini axes in his hand, readying to go into another rage.

The Defias footmen clearly looked ready to charge them when something happened. A chill filled the air and the thugs looked at each other confused to why they could suddenly see their breath in the air. Then something happened that wasn't common for these warm farmlands: it began to snow. White flakes started to fall and the Defias had no idea what was going on as some of them held out their hands to catch the small speckles.

It only took a few moments for Thalisar to realize what was going on. "We need to back into the mine for cover and I mean right now." The three of them slowly backed into the mine at least far enough to cover their heads, but not far enough to spook the enemy troops that were still watching them.

Only a few seconds later, hard and very jagged spikes of ice started to fall from the sky. The Defias were taken by surprise and the troops didn't have time to run for cover as they were cut down in great numbers and blown away from the large guts of winter air. It was like a blizzard out there, and moments later it was over as quickly as he began. There were several Defias brothers still left from the storm and they tried to charge but were met by large flashes of bright light that came from above the entrance to the mine shaft. The arcane missiles hit a few of the thugs in the chest and sent them rolling back down the hill they were charging. After a few shots, the remaining Defias muggers decided to retreat and run for more help.

Thalisar was the first to exit the mine, but Valleria quickly followed to see what was left of the Defias. "Unbelievable." She said as she witnessed the carnage for herself.

"Quite elementary my dear." A voice called from above.

Smoggel was the last to come out and find out who had saved them from the attacking Defias. He was wearing a black robe but in the middle of it was the same tabard as them. "Gandalus." The Gnome called up at the man standing on the ledge above the entrance. "It's very nice to see you."

"Your timing is impeccable, mage." Thalisar observed. "We have vital information that must be reported to Dameos as soon as possible."

"Then we should depart from this territory as soon as possible." Gandalus used a spell to slowly fall off the ledge and to the ground where the three of them were standing. Once safely on the ground, the mage turned away from the three and started to cast another spell. A small spec of light started to open out of thin air and as it slowly began to expand, a familiar site began to appear before them. Once the spell was fully cast, the mage turned to the three of them and he gave Valleria a warm smile. "Ladies first."

Valleria wasn't in the mood to argue about her 'special treatment' and was just as eager to leave so she accepted the mage's polite invitation and stepped through the portal to Stormwind.


	5. Chapter 5

Going through the portal was always an intriguing experience. As Valleria walked into it, the last thing she felt was the cool winds off the coast of Westfall. After stepping through the shining door, she felt warmer and the wind had disappeared because she was now surrounded by other mages in the Wizard's Sanctum, the tower that was located in the Mage's Quarter of the city. Moments after she emerged from the portal Smoggel, Thalisar and Gandalus all came right after her. The other mages didn't take notice to their arrival as this was a common occurrence in the Sanctum.

Thalisar grabbed Gandalus by the shoulder to get his attention. "We need to speak with Dameos, immediately."

"I concur." Gandalus replied before he looked back at Smoggel and Valeria. "Follow me."

The three of them followed the mage out of the tower and the Quarter. They strolled towards the part of the town where the Order was housed. Headquarters was fairly busy, but they walked through and didn't talk to anyone on their way to the main chamber. Gandalus opened the main doors with a wave of his hand and Dameos was out of armor and sitting at a table, looking through some parchments and maps. "How did the mission go in Westfall?" he quickly asked without looking up.

"Much was learned." Thalisar reported. "The Defias have taken over a mine that was prematurely abandoned and are mining copper and tin to fund their campaign."

This detail caused Dameos to put down what he was looking at and pay more attention. "What else did you find?"

"There's a boat." Smoggel quickly answered.  
"A boat?" Dameos repeated.

"A warship would be a better description." Valleria corrected. She went on to give the details of the imitation Alliance Warship that was in the cavern and the battle they had to go through to get out alive.

Dameos quietly listened as the three took turns telling the story of what had happened. After they had all finished giving their take on what had happened, the Paladin turned his attention to the mage at the back of the room. "What do you think of this wizard?"

"They're up to something. They went to a lot of trouble to make this warship and I can testify it was heavily guarded." Gandalus wasn't the kind to exaggerate what had occurred in Westfall so his words spoke volumes to their leader who was taking it all in.

"All right, I've heard enough." The Paladin said as he stood up from the table. "I am going to report this to the King and the nobles. From there we will decide what is to be done. For quite a while we assumed those mines were long dead. Turns out we were wrong and strong action must be taken to ensure their plan, whatever it may be, isn't implemented. Thank you for your time and efforts to bring this intel to us. I'll take it from here. The three of you need to stay here and speak with Gandalus. He has a new assignment for you."

The three of them all half bowed to their leader in respect and watched as he walked out of the room. Valleria was curious to what the wizard had in store for them but it turns out the rogue was more curious than her.

"What work do you have for us now, mage?" he quickly asked.

"Another location that badly needs looking into." The mage answered, "There is something afoul in Tirisfal Glades."

"Yeah, it's called Undercity." Smoggel said with a cocky smirk on his face.

Gandalus smirked but soon his serious demeanor returned. "We've been asked to ride to a Monastery in the northern part of the territory…"


End file.
